Definitions

lāo (verb) to fish up; to dredge up

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "捞", with its traditional form "撈", is structured with a hand radical (扌) on the left and a phonetic component, "劳" in simplified and "勞" in traditional, which guides its pronunciation. The hand radical denotes actions involving the hand, while the phonetic element aligns with the sound "lāo", originally conveying the sense of scooping or dredging something from a liquid. Over time, this meaning expanded from physical retrieval to encompass abstract acquisition, often implying gain through dubious or opportunistic means, such as in contexts referring to illicit profiteering or securing advantages.

Example Sentences Hide

我从湖里起树叶。

Wǒ cóng hú lǐ lāo qǐ shùyè.

I scoop leaves from the lake.

妈妈用勺子汤里的菜。

Māma yòng sháozi lāo tāng lǐ de cài.

Mom uses a ladle to scoop vegetables from the soup.

渔民每天在海上鱼。

Yúmín měitiān zài hǎishàng lāo yú.

Fishermen catch fish at sea every day.

到了一个好机会。

Tā lāo dàole yī gè hǎo jīhuì.

He managed to get a good opportunity.

那家公司从合同里了不少利润。

Nà jiā gōngsī cóng hétong lǐ lāole bù shǎo lìrùn.

That company gained a lot of profit from the contract.

我们应该从错误中取教训。

Wǒmen yīnggāi cóng cuòwù zhōng lāoqǔ jiàoxun.

We should learn lessons from mistakes.

这个计划让参与者到了实际利益。

Zhège jìhuà ràng cānyù zhě lāo dàole shíjì lìyì.

This plan allowed participants to gain actual benefits.

在市场波动时,他巧妙了一笔。

Zài shìchǎng bōdòng shí, tā qiǎomiào lāo le yī bǐ.

When the market fluctuated, he skillfully made a profit.